Cellulose-ether composition



Patented Sept. 8, 1 925.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. DONOHUE; OF ROCH%TER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY OF ROCHESTER, NEW

YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CELLULOSE-ETHER COMPOSITION.

Ho Drawing.

To all w om it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. DONOHUE, a citizen of the United States of America, residin at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ellulose-Ether Compositions, of which the following cation. 1

,..This invention relates to solvents for making strong solutions of cellulose ether and also relates to the cellulose either composiis a full, clear, and exact specifitions produced by the aid of such solvents.

these are practically insoluble in'water, and

my invention relates, but is not limited, to

the ethers having that property. While cellulose ethers form thin solutions in the lower monohydroxy aliphatic alcohols or in carvone, it has been found that such single solvents by themselves do not dissolve a sufficient proportion of the ethers to make a desirably thick flowable composition or dope,

- strong and useful solvent may such as may be used in the manufacture of photographic film base by customary methods or in the other plastic arts.

I have discovered that an adequately be prepared by mixing carvone with one or more of the lower monohydroxy aliphatic alcohols. In other words, I have discovered that mixtures of these ingredients have a greater solvent action on cellulose ethers than similar weights of such ingredients when employed b themselves. By lower monohydroxy afiphatic alcoh'ols, I mean those having less than six carbon atoms.

While the ingredients may be mixed in widely varying proportions it is noted, by way of example, t at a particularly useful composition can be prepared by mixing properties to the film,

Application filed February 23, 1828. Serial No. 820,618.

equal parts by weight of oarvone with the aliphatic alcohol, say methyl alcohol. In the preferred form of my invention, I dissolve 1 part by weight of the cellulose ether, say water-insoluble ethyl cellulose, in from 5 to 7 parts by weight of the solvent mixture. The ingredients by themselves are not sufiiciently powerful to make properly flowable solutions of this strength. Of course, the roportion of mixed solvent or the proportion of the volatile ingredients may be increased to adapt the composition to the lacquering art, as will skilled persons.

Other substances which impart additional suppleness, or incombustibility, or other qualities, to the film may also be added to the dope, such, for instance, as triphenyl or tricresyl phosphate, monochlornaphthalene, camphor, etc. The ingredients are of the ordinary commercial type and sufliciently purified for the process of film manufacture, so as to give a dope yielding film having be understood by the proper relative freedom from color.

The viscous-flowable dope above described can be used in connection with the usual film-forming apparatus without the necessity of expensive alterations in the latter.

In the formation of a film by the evaporation of the volatile ingredients from the hereinabove described compositions, a considerable amount of 'carvone remains behind, because of its relatively low volatility. It imparts useful plastifying and other which is normally flexible and transparent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A composition of matter comprising cellulose ether and carvone, the ingredients being homogeneously mixed in unprecipitated form. l

2. A composition, of matter comprising cellulose ether dissolved in a mixture of carvone and a lower monohydroxy aliphatic alcohol.

3. A composition of matter comprising cellulose ether'dissolved A. A fiowable composition comprising 1 to 7 parts by and a lower monohydroxy aliphatic alcohol.

in a mixture of car-- "vone and methyl alcohol.

5. A composition of matter comprising cellulose ether dissolved in a mixture of substantially equal parts by weight of carvoneand a lower monohydroxy aliphatic alcohol.

6. A composition of matter comprising 2 parts by weight of water-insoluble ethyl cellulose, 7 parts of carvone and 7 parts of methyl alcohol.

v7. As an article of manufacture, a film 10 comprising cellulose ether and carvone.

8. As an article of manufacture, a tough flexible transparent film comprising waterinsoluble ethyl cellulose and carvonc.

Signed at Rochester, New York this 14th 15 day of February, 1923.

JOHN M. DONOHUE. 

